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Challence make a song from zero

Posted

I like to see a demo tutorial to make a song from a melody motive and build this up to arrangement with a intro, etc
Perhaps a bad idea , because now you must work with symbols instead of notes.
I do use a tutorial for composing what uses notes, so you must make a translation from note to symbol


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Is there a steprecording possibiltiy to play on the midi keyboard to get a the desired note motive to symbol in the phrase recorder and doing this not by hand in the phrase editor symbol for symbol ( and translate from note to symbol..bbrr )
Translating notes to the phrase editor is stupid seems to me by hand bringing this in the phraseeditor.( i don't do anymore :))   


Sun, 2012-01-15 - 21:05 Permalink

You could record the melody in your sequencer (Logic, Cubase, Cakewalk, etc) Export the midi file and then import into SFP. Make it a 'static' import so that synfire doesn't change any notes.  

Then you can build around this,

I do this often when working on a song.  I'll start with a midi file, import all tracks as static.  The file plays back exactly.  I'll then import the song as a library, not using the static setting.  Along with manipulation the arrangement itself, and then taking bits and pieces from library.  I have a song version that if very faithful to original but with some interesting lines or counter point.  If I want to make it totally my own, then fool with the chords, making slight - extreme chord changes, depending on how it's feeling to me. 

 

It's a great exercise, 

Sun, 2012-01-15 - 22:41 Permalink

Yes, i think that i must work as source with midifiles and not starting from scratch with making a phrase in the phraseeditor because it is not the workflow in SFP

Thanks!


 



 

Sun, 2012-01-15 - 22:42 Permalink

The brown [p] symbols are Static Pitches, which is basically the same as MIDI notes. You can edit a figure using these symbols if you need 1:1 MIDI notation.

Why not just record the melody with an external MIDI keyboard? You can record a few seconds, make some corrections, then record the next few seconds, and so forth. Synfire continues a take from your last span selection.

Mon, 2012-01-16 - 00:12 Permalink

Yes thanks  , i will practice that. Composing from scratch is start with a melody add a bass and a harmonic fill with other instruments ..


So i start with a melody--harmonize this and get the harmonized chords for the melody ..analyse the chordnotes and add the harmonic instrument fill notes


But i want to use a octave doubling for the chords to get a 4 part harmony and octave doubling is suitable for the root and the fifth of the triad chord.


 


 
 

Mon, 2012-01-16 - 23:32 Permalink

Over the years, I've tried about every approach I can think of to write a song.  SFP has me inspired to really work on the chord structure.  Keeping enough repeatiing with some chord variations in later verses, or prechorus.  Focusing that they are not always consistantly changing on whole or half notes. Pick up chords on the last 1/8 note of a measure  are cool, cause they open the door for another change. 

 

But I'm going to return to your idea of a melody first.  I was listening to a singer guitar player on subway, and he sang a Beatle song, When you sing a srong melody you can get away with one a ccompianeng instrument. 

 

Here's a great website to check out. = 

(http://www.northernsounds.com/)

 

They have two free arranging courses.  I've started with the jazz one.  They also have the great grandfather of arranging - Rimsky Korsakov.  He taught himself arranging and wrote out the principles that were involved.   

 

The first jazz lesson I took was to develop a good melody and then a good basslline, then go back and find the chords, It will be easier to fill in the other parts. 

Tue, 2012-01-17 - 00:51 Permalink

It is the melody (lead) what has the most impact on the listener..you remember always the melody of a song


Not a easy task composing..but fun..and do it in steps ofcourse and follow  a logic
There are a number of simple principles:


-The first principle is that any melody note viewed as part of a chord can only partake in 3 triads
example : key Eminor .. E note ..in 3 chords ( Eminor-Cmajor-Aminor) ..


So the first note e can be harmonised by 3 chords with different harmonic function


- ......................................................more principles !


STUDY ..composition for computer musicians ( michael hewitt) .. i bought this book


take chapter 9: melody , bass and harmony and if you undertstand this you do have a start in composing


 


BUT SFP can harmonize any melody in any key in the harmonizer and suppose you start with a Emin scale on a e note ..


OK melody and chord are there and now a bassline ..
The melody  construction is first to work with the structural notes  related to chords and make a connection from structural tones to structural tone with auxilary notes ( passing notes , , etc )


 


The best is to study the book to get more insight !